Trust

by Ronnie Apteker

It takes a long time to earn trust, perhaps even a lifetime. But it can be lost in a heartbeat. I think the Footskating movie had a fundamental problem from the start. I realize that now. I think the teen audience that we made this movie for do not trust us.

I love the Footskating movie; it is the film we wanted to make all those years ago. The Benoni movie should have been the Footskating movie. But the Benoni movie did not deliver on the expectation that was created back then and for this we lost trust. We all start out on projects with the best intentions but sometimes we make mistakes and we just don’t get it right. Yes, we intended to make a 10/10 on the Benoni movie but it landed up being more close to a 3 or a 4. The new Footskating movie is closer to a 7 in my view and I am happy with the growth that we have demonstrated here. But, sadly, sometimes it just isn’t good enough. I think the timing of our release just recently was really unlucky considering all the big sporting action on the go at the time, but, the trust issue is a fundamental problem and one we can’t do anything about. For those of you who have been following this thread you will understand, and for those of you who have not been following, well, this is the last installment on this subject. From next week we will move on to something different.

Barry Ronge gave the Footskating film 4 out of 5. He said that the new movie found the balance between silly and cool. And that is right on the money. We were indeed trying to make a silly movie. Something that didn’t take itself too seriously, something with great colour and character, something magical with cool music and a fast pace. We feel we did achieve this, and we are very grateful that the vast majority of the reviewers saw the magic in what was created here. We did have good luck in this respect. Good luck that came from good people.

But, the market has given us a clear message. They didn’t want another film like the first one and the box office numbers have highlighted this. We just couldn’t seem to escape the association to the first film, even though the new movie was a whole different ball game, with a new team. So, it’s back to the drawing board on the movie side. It has been said through the ages that there is always progress from struggle. And, if this is the case, then, a lot of progress will be part of the reward here.

I remind myself once again that everything we do is all about people. The right attitude brings results. Let me re-emphasize that one would rather invest in bad business with good people than in a good business with bad people. And this is what I got out of the Footskating journey: a strong, solid base of people. We created more than just a colourful, eccentric movie, we created a good team of people. An inspired, motivated group of story tellers, that are now ready for the next journey.

Getting a film to market must be one of the hardest challenges in the world. Competing on the world stage is overwhelming. Going up against all the big budget Hollywood films is monster exercise. Getting an indie film released in the USA must one the toughest things you could do; now imagine getting a non-American indie film out there – wow, talk about a big mountain to climb! Yes, competing in the arts is not easy: there are very few winners and lots and lots of losers. Well, we won on some fronts now and we lost on others. But, when it comes to investing in people I came out with flying colours and this means more to me than anything.

When you go to a cinema or a book shop or a CD store, you don’t ask to see the international products or the local stuff, etc. You simply want to see what’s hot – you want the best. Your leisure time is precious. Simply put, you don’t want to waste your time with something that is average. Then, consider that South Africa is not a big film going country – it is not a big part of our culture. Sports, on the other hand, is all everyone talks about. So, with that in mind, I am off to watch some sporting action on TV. Then I will get some sleep. Tomorrow, a new journey begins.

Do all good things come to an end?

by Ronnie Apteker

I have never really understood this saying. Do all good things really come to an end?

My mother always asks me why I work so hard. But I don’t see it as work. If you love it then it is not work. I do love what I do, even those most days end in frustration and sleepless nights, but I look forward to each new day, to carry on the adventure.

Yes, I love what I do, but it doesn’t always love me back. Film making, like writing software, is a creative process. I can speak from both of these perspectives: when you are in the zone there is nothing quite like it. There are many frustrations and there are always things to fix and change. But when it all comes together there is no better feeling.

But, developing software and film production have two very different trajectories. Software can grow and become popular. A film, on the other hand, has an opening weekend and this generally determines its path. If the opening weekend is not mind blowing then the prognosis is not good. The Footskating movie opened this weekend and the numbers weren’t great. But they were not great for any movie. Looks like our timing to launch a movie was not ideal; the big sporting action this weekend kept people glued to their TV sets.

So, what does this mean? Well, next weekend there will be another bunch of Hollywood movies that open and fight for supremacy. And our indie film will have to contend with the hype and attention that this new big studio product will receive. In short, we got a real battle ahead if the long weekend coming up, in our second week of release, is going to be ours.

So, does it have to come to end? If the movie doesn’t land up doing the numbers this next long weekend does it mean all is lost. Considering that we spent two years on this journey I think this tough weekend that just passed now only means that our team needs to be more street smart next time round. Every venture, be it in software or in film, needs luck. Perhaps our timing was off now because of the all the sporting activity on the box of late. And perhaps we will still shape up over the long weekend coming as we move into the important tactical period of school holidays. One thing is for sure, the Footskating journey has been brilliant and inspired and we love the movie. We know who ever will watch will love it too. We just hope that this coming week people start going back to the movies. All movies, especially Footskating 101.

We constantly remind ourselves that it’s just a movie; no one dies. And, to answer the question, does it have to end. Well, we got another film in development, and we are more excited than ever to carry on our journey.

Footskating Friday

by Ronnie Apteker

They say that the camera never lies, but as I get older I find this to be more and more untrue. What you can bank on are the numbers; they are the ones that truly never lie.

This coming Friday the Footskating movie gets released. Two years ago around this same time, the Benoni movie hit the circuit. That film sold 200,000 tickets during its theatrical run. The new movie is not Crazy Monkey 2, it is a whole new piece of work, and we are looking for growth here.

If we do less than 200,000 tickets then the market is giving us a clear message: “voetsak”. Yes, if we do less than the previous film then we are being told to give it up. But if we do more than the last movie, then will take this as a sign of encouragement, to keep going.

This is our approach when it comes to Vottle. So far, month on month, the traffic continues to grow. As long as it keeps growing, albeit still relatively too slowly for our liking, we will keep on enhancing the Vottle experience.

I have been investing and championing film makers, writers, comedians, and artists now for over 7 years. I think we may turn a corner on the Footskating film. This Friday the first days’ numbers will tell us a lot. By the end of this coming weekend we will know the truth.

Please support the Footskaters. Check out www.footskating.com and go see the Footskating movie this opening weekend. You will laugh! A lot!

I would send you a shorter email, but I don’t have time

by Ronnie Apteker

We all over complicate our lives. I am starting to understand what constitutes a genius more and more. I think the smartest people know how to keep things simple. A genius is often described as someone who lives in their own world. Perhaps we can interpret this to mean that this is someone who just does not buy into all the distractions found in the mainstream mediocrity. And perhaps that is a whole other discussion, so let me keep things simple here. After all, this update today is about simplicity.

I actually heard someone say the other day “I would send you a shorter email but I just don’t have time.” And this got me thinking. It takes time to simplify things. It takes time to get to the point. It seems to be easier to waffle on and on.

I get many film scripts sent to me, but when I ask for a one paragraph description or a one page summary I get this silence on the other end of the phone. An interesting paradox indeed.

We were always taught in school about keeping it simple. There was that expression “KISS” which stands for “Keep It Simple, Stupid”. We all tend to fill our lives with so many time wasting distractions. Perhaps this is what gives us comfort. God forbid we have to deal with the real issues.

So, without confusing anyone any further, or myself for that matter, let me keep today’s rambling short and simple. It is simplicity we are trying to achieve on Vottle, and it is simplicity I am trying to achieve in my own life. I hope I get one of these right. I think the Vottle one will be easier.

Funny Money

by Ronnie Apteker

We take our work seriously. But we don’t take ourselves seriously. We try to laugh when we can and we try to learn from our mistakes.

Someone sent this to me. It was too good to keep to myself. Learn, laugh and enjoy.

Here they are, the lessons of business:

Corporate Lesson 1

A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower when the doorbell rings. After a few seconds of arguing over which one should go and answer the doorbell, the wife gives up, quickly wraps herself up in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next door neighbour.

Before she says a word, Bob says, "I'll give you 800 dollars to drop that towel that you have on." After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob.

After a few seconds, Bob hands her 800 dollars and leaves. Confused, but excited about her good fortune, the woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs.

When she gets back to the bathroom, her husband asks from the shower "Who was that?" "It was Bob the next door neighbour," she replies. "Great," the husband says, "did he say anything about the 800 dollars he owes me?"

MORAL OF THE STORY:

If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk in time with your stakeholders, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

Corporate Lesson 2

A priest was driving along and saw a nun on the side of the road; he stopped and offered her a lift which she accepted. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to open and reveal a lovely leg.

The priest had a look and nearly had an accident.

After controlling the car, he stealthfully slid his hand up her leg. The nun looked at him and immediately said, "Father, remember psalm 129?" The priest was flustered and apologized profusely. He forced himself to remove his hand.

However, he was unable to remove his eyes from her leg.

Further on while changing gear, he let his hand slide up her leg again.
The nun once again said, "Father, remember psalm 129?" Once again the priest apologized. "Sorry sister but the flesh is weak."

Arriving at the convent, the nun got out gave him a meaningful glance and went on her way. On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to retrieve a bible and looked up psalm 129. It said, "Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory."

MORAL OF THE STORY:

Always be well informed in your job, or you might miss a great opportunity!

Corporate Lesson 3

Usually the staff of the company plays football. The middle level managers are more interested in tennis. The top management usually has a preference for golf.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

As you go up the corporate ladder, the balls reduce in size.

Corporate Lesson 4

A sales rep, an administration clerk and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out in a puff of smoke. The Genie says, "I usually only grant three wishes, so I'll give each of you just one."

"Me first! Me first!" says the admin clerk. "I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world." Poof!
She's gone.

In astonishment, "Me next! Me next!" says the sales rep. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of pina coladas and the love of my life." Poof! He's gone.

"OK, you're up," the Genie says to the manager. The Manager says, "I want those two back in the office after lunch."

MORAL OF THE STORY:

Always let your boss have the first say.


Corporate Lesson 5

An old man, a boy and a donkey were going to town. The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked. As they went along they passed some people who remarked it was a shame the old man was walking and the boy was riding.
The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right, so they changed positions.

Later, they passed some people who remarked, “What a shame, he makes that little boy walk”. They then decided they both would walk.

Soon they passed some more people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So, they both rode the donkey.

Now they passed some people who shamed them by saying how awful to put such a load on a poor donkey. The boy and man said they were probably right, so they decided to carry the donkey. As they crossed the bridge, they lost their grip on the animal and it fell into the river and drowned.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

If you try to please everyone, you might as well kiss your ass good-bye.

I need to talk to you

by Ronnie Apteker

With all these communications devices and with all the amazing technology we have today we still don’t know how to communicate. Actually, we are becoming worse listeners by the day. It is not easy to listen to people. It requires real time. Really listening means giving someone your full attention. And how does one pay attention with the cellphone ringing, SMS’s flying in every direction, email downloading by the truckload, and more.

But this is actually a whole separate discussion, Today I want to talk about something more curious. Every other month I bump into someone I know, either in a restaurant, or on the street, or in a shopping mall, and just about every time the conversation goes like this “I have been wanting to talk to you about something important. A big opportunity.” Now this is confusing. If they wanted to talk to me why didn’t they call me? Did they plan on bumping into me like that? If something is important to you, and if you thought I could add value to your idea, then surely you would pick up the phone. Surely you would make contact. How can you take someone seriously when you run into in the toilet for a leek, and someone there tries to talk to you, especially when you are in a hurry? And then they look at you like there is something wrong. Just about week at our offices someone walks past me in the corridor and just starts going on about something. How do they expect me to listen when I am in a hurry? How do they expect me to take them seriously when they go on how urgent and important it is? Seriously, if someone really wanted to speak to you they would make an effort.

My film making work also invites a lot of callers. At least once a week someone mails me or phones me (I am easy to find – I am in the book) and wants to talk about their movie project. Now, I understand how excited they are, how passionate they are, but that does mean much. Many people are passionate and excited. What I want to know is how they are under pressure. I want to know how much substance they have. Strength of character is more important to me than the strength of a screenplay. And they pretty much always say the same thing “Can I come see you tomorrow?” When I ask them what about they go on and on and on. It is actually quite disempowering. I then ask them to send me a short one or two paragraph description that I can read and think about. If something capture’s my imagination then I probably will look into further. But, how can I take a guy seriously that starts swearing and ranting when I ask him to send me a summary to read. The other day someone went off at me, “What’s your problem? Are you important to see me?” They call me looking for my input or help and they go off at me like that.

Yes, we have not mastered the art of communications and yet we keep inventing new ways to communicate. This is the paradox of progress at play. You have to laugh!

You got to be lucky!

by Ronnie Apteker

I once heard a great entrepreneur tell me that making money is about 10% seichel and 90% mazel. Yes, this wise old Jewish man told me that making money is more about luck than anything else. In fact, he went on to say that those who use less seichel (brains) always tend to make more money. It really is so much about mazel (luck), and as I grow older I believe this more and more.

J. Paul Getty was once asked about his great success. He said that the secret is to wake up early, work hard, and find oil! One thing is for sure, the more you dig, the more you get closer to the oil. Luck favours the persistent. As Gary Player once said “The more I practice the luckier I get.”

Positive energy has a big influence on luck. People that are positive tend to think more rationally. They tend to see the bigger picture. The decisions they make are more insightful. And the end result is more victorious. Some may speak about karma or they may use that old saying “what goes around comes around”. One thing is for sure, people that smile a lot tend to be luckier. People who laugh and share tend to win more.

I believe that there is a way to change one’s luck. Yes, you have to work hard, and you have to take chances, but it is not all about being smart. You can be very smart and also be very unlucky. You have to want it. You have to have faith and you have to be totally committed. It needs to come from inside your soul. It needs to come from your heart. And it needs to be something you love. You can’t fake it.

I have been very lucky in my life. I do work non-stop and I do love what I do. It doesn’t always love me back, but I am driven and I never give up. But, I do always try treat everyone the same, with respect, with kindness, with grace. The more I do this the more things seem to fall into place. I think the best way to sum this all up is with another old saying: the best way to receive is to give.

If you want to be luckier start being kinder. Start giving more. Ok, one last quote for today. This is a wise expression that I only started to fully understand in the past few years. Read this one a few times. It carries an important message: "When I was young, I admired clever people. As I grew old I came to admire kind people." - Abraham Joshua Heschel